PLUS: SOCCER -- M.L.S.; Meola to Undergo Knee Surgery

Kansas City Wizards goalkeeper Tony Meola will have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee next week and probably will miss half the Major League Soccer season.

Meola, 30, was hurt during practice on March 17, as he tried to plant his foot and turn to kick a ball. Three days earlier, he chipped a tooth and needed 51 stitches to repair cuts sustained during a collision in a game between the United States and Mexico.

''The anterior-cruciate ligament might be torn worse than thought,'' Meola said. ''We won't know until they look at it. Everybody's preparing for the worst, which is three, four months.''

Meola was acquired by the Wizards along with defender Alexi Lalas from the MetroStars on Jan. 20 for midfielder Mark Chung and goalkeeper Mike Ammann.